The week we were scheduled for staff makeovers found me with the perfect trifecta of blemish in need of cosmetic assistance: The dry fall weather had turned my eyes red. My sick cat was waking me up in the middle of the night and adding bags to the bloodshot. And something had irritated my skin so that there was a tiny constellation, a Little Dipper of acne, on my jawline.

This rivaled the time my daughter fell off the bed and smacked herself in the face, self-inflicting her own black eye two days before elementary school photos.

Ah, timing is everything. So is foundation. A lip gloss with a nice sheen for the winter months. Mascara. And the right shade of eye shadow is not too shabby, either.

In the spirit of giving, four STYLE staff members – associate publisher Jeni Mann, staff writer Kimberly Uslin, intern Autumn Dalton and myself – agreed to let beauty editor Owen Michael O’Donnell give us new looks for two reasons. First, as annoying as it can be to assume that everything that we like ourselves is of interest to our readers, we knew we shared one thing in common. Like you, we all want to look like our best selves. We are different ages, have different beauty needs and definitely different styles, so we hoped in our varying questions for Owen you would find answers to your own.

A word about Owen: He is an entrepreneur who always knows what’s going on and is truly one of the most connected people I know. Owen owns social media. Except during our makeovers, when, brush in hand, he dabbed, blended and highlighted with the concentration of other artists making their work take shape before them. I got a makeover, but also a fresh look at why he likes to do what he does.

As for my look, Owen used Kevyn Aucoin’s Ethereal Eye Corrector and loose shimmer shadow in Candle Glow and Topaz. He recommended Clinique’s All About Eyes rollerball cream and sticking with amethyst or bronze tones for shadow.

Jeni, too, wanted some product advice: “I’ve been doing my makeup the same way for 15 years and I don’t do a lot of makeup as is. I am a woman in my 50s and my look has to change, but I don’t want to look like Grandma.”

Owen’s offerings for her included Kevyn Aucoin’s Essential Neutral Eye Pallette and his volumizing mascara. To perk up her features, he used the brand’s Ethereal Liquid Foundation and Celestial Highlighter.

To see the rest of our makeovers grab a copy of STYLE today. For a chance to win your own, click HERE.

]]>http://baltimorestyle.com/brush-up/feed/0Common Cold Cured?http://baltimorestyle.com/common-cold-cured/
http://baltimorestyle.com/common-cold-cured/#respondThu, 07 Dec 2017 18:38:56 +0000http://baltimorestyle.com/?p=37958
“There are just too many cold viruses out there and they change a little bit every year, so there’s no way you could ever have a vaccine,” says Dr. Kevin Ferentz, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at GBMC.

Although cold season is again upon us, there’s no reason to get overly glum. The good news is that we know the best action to take to avoid catching a cold, or spreading one if you do get sick, and it’s painfully simple: Wash your hands early and often. That’s it.

You see, while you can catch colds via airborne transmission, Dr. Ferentz says its far more likely for one of the myriad of cold viruses to enter us via our hands. Here’s one scenario: A guy with a cold coughs into his hand, then shakes your hand, and then you rub your eye or touch your mouth. Just like that, the virus has jumped into a whole new human host. (Many healthcare pros feel if we all coughed and even sneezed into the crook of our elbows instead of our hands, we could make a serious dent in cold transmissions.)

However you catch one, as soon you get sniffly the first thing you should do is reach for the Vitamin C, right? Not so fast. “Vitamin C has been looked at in randomized control/placebo trials and it neither prevents colds nor makes colds go away faster,” Dr. Ferentz says. Now, some studies have shown that zinc lozenges, if you take enough of ’em in the early going, might reduce a cold by one day. But the good doc warns that such doses of zinc can cause gastrointestinal distress, so you might swap one set of symptoms for another.

Best thing you can do when you come down with one of the two or three colds adults get a year is to ride it out, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.

Decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, and all the rest of the potions and pills lining drug store shelves can provide symptomatic relief. (They can make you feel better, but they won’t actually speed the getting better.) So, just Netflix and chill with a bowl of soup.

And don’t forget to wash your hands.

]]>http://baltimorestyle.com/common-cold-cured/feed/0Michelle Obama’s Makeup Artist Offers Class at Academy of Makeuphttp://baltimorestyle.com/michelle-obamas-makeup-artist-offers-class-in-baltimore/
http://baltimorestyle.com/michelle-obamas-makeup-artist-offers-class-in-baltimore/#respondWed, 29 Nov 2017 14:13:36 +0000http://baltimorestyle.com/?p=37806The story of Carl Ray’s career start is a poignant one: He was watching his divorced mother get ready for work one day and had some ideas about how to make her make up work for her. He asked her if he could help and the results looked great.
Carl Ray and Michelle Obama

“She felt good. I felt good,” Ray says. Cue the epiphany.

From a 14 year old helping his mom to a makeup artist today, Ray’s journey has included clients who needed to look beautiful for galas, weddings and even the White House. Based out of Washington, D.C.’s one80 salon, Ray has been Michelle Obama’s makeup artist since the Obama family came to the capital.

“She is what you see. She is an amazing person,” says Ray, who received an email invitation to audition for Mrs. Obama and “we hit it off.” While Barack Obama was president, Ray traveled with the family to 24 countries and made Mrs. Obama look beautiful for state dinners and magazine covers, among other occasions.

“I still work with her,” says Ray, who adds that he appreciates “her positive energy.”

On Sunday, Dec. 10, Ray will bring his years of expertise to the Academy of Makeup in Cockeysville for a two-hour class. The first hour will be a tutorial on enhancing natural beauty, skin care, types of makeup and application. Ray says he wants to show participants “how to enhance without over-application” and “how to be the best version of ourselves.”

The second hour of the class will be a Q &A.

When Lindsay Shields founded the Academy of Makeup in 2015, this was exactly the kind of event she was envisioning, a class “that exposes clients to a New York level of instruction and builds exposure to great talent.”

While there are lots of YouTube tutorials on makeup, they are not always high quality, Shields says.

Ray’s class starts at noon and tickets are $275. Event information can be found here.

In the meantime, you can follow Carl Ray on Instagram @carlraymua and the Academy of Makeup @academyofmu.

For many, our December to-do list feels like the ninth verse of the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” The end is somewhere in sight, but we’ve got a lot to get through before the final note. From holiday shopping and cooking to juggling parties and the kids’ winter concerts, it’s no wonder we’re stressed.

Thankfully, Delia Chiaramonte, M.D., and Chris D’Adamo, Ph.D., of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, have stress-reducing advice to tackle whatever life throws at you this month (and long after). And if striking a Warrior Pose doesn’t come naturally to you, no worries. “Reducing stress doesn’t have to be yoga, acupuncture or sitting cross-legged doing meditation,” D’Adamo points out.

Name your stress. All stress can be categorized by inside vs. outside and changeable vs. unchangeable, notes Chiaramonte, who is the associate director and director of education at the Center for Integrative Medicine. Inside stress is what we create ourselves, such as thinking that if the house/food/gift/party isn’t perfect, we’ve failed. Outside stress — travel, finances, making the food, getting the house ready, the fact that your in-laws’ open house is the same night as your work party — may be changeable or unchangeable, but all inside stress is theoretically changeable.

If an outside stressor is changeable, consider changing it. Can you have groceries delivered or order gifts online? Hire a bartender for your neighborhood caroling party? What part of the holiday dinner can be takeout? You can’t change a canceled flight or your mother’s uncanny ability to push your buttons, but you can control how you react. Chiaramonte recommends “filling up your cup, emotionally and spiritually in advance,” so that you’re prepared when something unplanned happens.

There’s no place like om for the holidays. Meditative practices take many forms, D’Adamo explains. Take a walk and think about each step. Admire the beauty of your neighbor’s decorations (without comparing them to yours). Listen to your favorite music or take a warm bath (or both). Play with the dog. Start a gratitude bedtime
ritual of naming three to five things you were thankful for that day. Get app-y: Chiaramonte uses and recommends apps Head Space, Calm and Buddhify to help her manage her stress and encourage mindfulness.

Whatever you choose, make a conscious effort to be in the moment. “[During the holidays] there are all those precious moments that you want to savor,” says D’Adamo, who directs the center’s
research. If we spend our time and effort making every moment perfect, we risk missing the joy we’re trying to bring.

Put yourself on your list. Self-care is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and
others, and both Chiaramonte and D’Adamo agree that getting enough sleep is paramount. And be kind, unwind. “Taking time out for yourself from the hustle and bustle to relax is very important,” D’Adamo says. The method — a massage, movie or leafing through a stack of magazines while the kids play Minecraft — isn’t as important as doing it.

Try a belly laugh. Whether it’s Will Ferrell in an elf suit or a cat video, D’Adamo recommends watching something funny before bed and every morning. The science is real: Laughter lowers blood pressure, anxiety and perceived stress. Extend the healing power of a good chuckle by deepening social connections. On the way to dinner at Aunt Mimi’s, think of a funny, favorite family memory to share. And it’s a great strategy to change the subject when your cousin (outside stress) starts spewing angry politics during dessert.

Eat, drink and be merry (within reason). Our neurotransmitters need a healthy diet — whole foods, leafy greens, proteins and healthy fats — to help us feel calm and joyful. If you devoured a load of latkes or demolished the gingerbread house, don’t beat yourself up. “The stress of that holiday eating can induce is hard for a lot of people,” D’Adamo explains. “Recognize that you make the best choices you can. Try to treat each meal as a new beginning.”

Just breathe. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds. Hold that breathe for seven seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for eight seconds, preferably with a “whoosh” sound. D’Adamo recommends doing this for three to four cycles. “It only takes a minute or two, and it’s shown to physiologically reduce the ‘fight or flight’ stress response and calm people,” he says.

Get going. Another potent stress reliever is physical activity. Go ice-skating, dance to some holiday tunes, take the steps at the mall. If you’re already exercising regularly, don’t sacrifice your run/walk/Body Pump class when the holiday schedule starts to fill up.

Know that everyone’s holidays are imperfect. It just may not look that way on Facebook and Instagram. Social media can stir negative thoughts (“everyone’s life is better than mine”) that create inside stress, Chiaramonte says of the hard-to-avoid habit of constantly checking our feed. “If social media decreases your inside stress, or at least doesn’t increase it, then I think it’s fine,” she says. If it does, “use less social media or work on reframing your negative thoughts.” And remember: It’s hard to be in the moment if you are posting about it.

]]>http://baltimorestyle.com/peace-out/feed/0Light Showhttp://baltimorestyle.com/light-show/
http://baltimorestyle.com/light-show/#respondWed, 22 Nov 2017 14:52:00 +0000http://baltimorestyle.com/?p=37710I recently opened a gracious email from Maria Buckingham, spa manager at FX Studios, inviting me to see their new downtown facility at 10 Light Street. She shared information with me about four different types of LED light therapy, all to treat different skin concerns, and then asked which one interested me. I replied, “All of them!”

The spa: I quickly scheduled some time with Maria, which is no small feat, as she balances both FX’s popular Hunt Valley location and the new downtown destination. When I got there, I was guided through a beautifully redone Art Deco bank building, now home to the Under Armor Performance Center, and led down a small hallway with soothing spa music. The midday city hustle disappeared. Right away, I could see this was a well-thought-out spa. There’s a gorgeous blow-dry and makeup bar overlooking Light Street, as well as private manicure and hair-styling rooms with shampoo stations. Those seemed great for privacy or male clients who don’t choose to sit under the dryer.

The treatment: Maria tried several lights on my skin, a blue light for acne-related bacteria, red for wrinkles and a deeper amber-ish light for general inflammation. Light treatments can be done over makeup or even a beard, Maria explained, but said it would be best if started with a quick cleanse and the appropriate serum for my skin concerns. We chose Eminence products for that, an organic line that got me with its fragrance right off the bat. As she applied the warm and tingly but pleasant-feeling light wand to my face, she explained that having treatments one to two times a week for up to eight weeks would yield the best results, but that I would notice an immediate glow after this very first one.

The verdict: Maria was right — by the next day there was less redness in my cheeks and two small pimples from an ingrown hair in my beard had gone down. I’d say this was a success. Light therapy can be a $25 add-on to another facial service or $50 on its own — a skin refresher that you can easily swing on your lunch break.

Final thoughts: With these quick results and the beautiful Light Street location, light therapy gives me reasons to sneak in and see Maria for more.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Rolfing is kind of a gross word. But founder Ida Rolf wasn’t worrying about any untoward near-homonyms when coining the term for her unique brand of structural bodywork in 1971. Instead, she was focused on fascia, the thin connective tissue throughout our bodies that covers our muscles .

I had never heard of fascia before venturing to Fells Points Sanctuary Bodyworks to meet with certified advanced Rolfer Ray Allen. But after 90 minutes of having my fascia manipulated, I’ll never forget it.

HOW IT WORKS: “Rolfing resets the body to neutral,” Allen says. “It balances the body to help one have more energy, feel better and live a happier life.” And how are such lofty goals realized? You guessed it — through the fascia, which has been become a bit of a buzzword in the fitness world of late. According to Allen, manipulation of the tissue network works to release tightness and restrictions that result from the patterns of daily life — such as sitting at a desk all day or a nightly jog — by lengthening shortened fascia and restoring the elasticity of lengthened fascia. The entire re-balancing of the body takes an average of 10 sessions per Ida Rolf’s “recipe,” but is individually tailored to each client’s needs.

To begin the process, Allen observed my body when walking and standing, all the while remarking on what worked (my full range of motion and pretty good posture) and what didn’t (my forward-facing pelvis and tendency to lock my knees). Then, I stripped down to my underwear and lay on the table, then sat on a bench as Allen pressed on various parts of my body, often asking me to move another part to aid in the process. It was an experience unlike any I’ve had, but if I had to compare it to something, I’d say the sensation is a bit like using a foam roller on one’s deeper-down muscles (like those on the sides of the hips).

WHAT I LOVED: After my session, during which Allen worked primarily on my lower back, I actually felt like my pelvis had been realigned. I was standing taller and straighter, and when I lay down for bed that night, I didn’t have to make my normal adjustments to relieve the tightness at the base of my spine.

WHAT I DIDN’T: Rolfing is certainly no relaxing massage. At times, the pressure Allen applied really hurt. (Though, I should note, he was incredibly attentive and immediately softened his touch whenever he felt me tense up.) And while the effects were immediate and powerful, they were relatively short-lived. But, in fairness, I only attended one session, so I can’t speak to the long-term results of the 10-session package.

Everyone rallies when a friend is sick. In Sherri Renée Romm’s case, a friend’s cancer diagnosis in 1992 inspired great generosity on her part—Romm created a wig for her, a kindness that led to a hair empire that now reaches across the United State into Canada and Barbados.

Versacchi Studios—Romm’s “lab”—is her salon based in Owings Mills, where she also teaches hands-on workshops for stylists interested in learning her technique.

“When my friend got sick, she went to a wig store and she bought a wig and she never wore it and she didn’t go out,” says Romm, who worked for many years as an engineer before earning a fine arts degree in painting from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

Romm was determined to create a piece for her friend that would boost her self-esteem—and she did, using her own painting skills. “She loved it,” Romm says of the end result. That’s when she knew working with hair was for her, because it combined all of her skills and passions into one.

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve always done things and created things with my hands and found objects—you know, whatever was around I could use and kind of reassemble and repurpose,” she says.

She brought her arts education to that repurposing instinct, employing the painting technique of chiaroscuro—with attention to lights and darks—as she paints the hair.

“We’re applying all of the fine arts—even the sculpting, the way we cut the hair, how much hair to put in,” she says. “All of that really is born from the fine arts if you’re going to do it right.”

To get the technique right, Romm played around with different materials to make her wigs look more realistic—and feel cooler—than traditional ones. Her day-to-day work with clients inspired a whole line of related products.

Along with the educational influence, Romm also brings a personal understanding to this issue. About nine years ago, she dealt with hair loss herself due to a tumor on her thyroid. That experience led directly to her Parisian Hair Enhancement Collection, a line of products made with Parisian silk, lace and organic cotton products to address spot hair loss as well as total hair loss. Today, clients have their picks from bang pieces, clip-ins, crown pieces, the French Volu, partial wigs, full wigs, ponytails and more.

Each hairpiece is custom colored and cut by a professional, so they aren’t sold online. But Romm does keep a stock of her most popular “pre-custom” designs; for clients with cancer, for example, who need a full enhancement, “you can’t wait eight weeks for a custom order to come in, so I have stock in that,” she says. “A stylist does all the coloring technique to make it look like that person’s hair.”

The prices for Romm’s creations range from $795 and up, which Romm says is “extremely fair.” After all, Romm says, hair can make a huge difference: “When you give somebody their hair back, some of the wrinkles soften, it balances out their body, it gives them character.”

Romm’s technique and custom, individual-centered approach has become so popular, she’s developed a following among fellow stylists, who take classes from her and read her books on chiaroscuro and alternative hair. She’s now partnered with more than 20 salons. “We’re just really spreading our wings out,” she says, “so it gives me great feedback that we’re on the right path.”

I was browsing a list of Baltimore-based Meetup groups when I saw something…surprising. Nestled amid book clubs and bar crawls was a “Sound Healing” group, meeting weekly for meditation and “sound baths.” As a lover (if not necessarily a believer) of all things holistic health, I knew I had to try it—and ne Google search later, I’d found my healer: Towson-based Sherri Lehr, a delightful woman who looked more like a favorite aunt than an expert in shamanism and sacred geometry.

HOW IT WORKS: According to Lehr, sound healing uses vibrations to “reduce stress, alter consciousness and create a deep sense of peace and well-being.” She explained that the vibrations caused by various instruments work at a cellular level to increase and activate the space between cells, clearing blockages—both spiritual and physical—and promoting pain relief, personal clarity and chakra alignment.

To prepare for the session, Lehr asked me a few questions about my mental and spiritual health before having me lie face-up on her table. I closed my eyes as she played a series of different-sized tuning forks over various parts of my body—the sites, she explained, of different chakras and energy centers—as well as singing and crystal bowls. She finished our appointment with a brief reiki session, moving energy from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. (I honestly had no sense of time as she worked, but I estimate the healing lasted about 45 minutes or so).

WHAT I LOVED: The experience was loud but pleasant, and I definitely felt myself falling into an ultra-relaxed, almost meditative state as the instruments rang around me. The reiki, especially, resonated: I truly could feel energy moving down my body, evidenced by twitching in my calves and feet. It’s also worth noting that Sherri knows her stuff. We talked for nearly 45 minutes after we’d finished about all types of holistic healing, and I left the appointment eager to dive into further research.

WHAT I DIDN’T: As I mentioned before, I’m an enthusiast, but a bit of a skeptic, too. Many articles I read post-appointment said that there was a lack of scientific support for sound healing’s claims, but that the sense of relaxation it promoted was certainly a positive. And while I can’t say for sure whether my chakras became aligned or my aura cleansed, I’m open to the possibility that they were.

FINAL VERDICT: When it comes to holistic healing, the power of sound cuts through some of the noise.

]]>http://baltimorestyle.com/hear-me-out/feed/0Self-Carehttp://baltimorestyle.com/self-care/
http://baltimorestyle.com/self-care/#respondFri, 29 Sep 2017 16:24:50 +0000http://baltimorestyle.com/?p=34387
As a caregiver for her elderly mother, Tina Collins doesn’t often get the chance to dress up (unless it’s for the annual Christmas costume party that she and her husband throw). When she can, though, the mental health advocate—who previously grappled with schizoaffective disorder—prefers a romantic-yet-modern look, perfect for dinner and a night out at the theater. “I love being able to see myself made-up,” she says. “As other caregivers and mental illness patients will know, it’s a real treat.”

Collins will speak about her experiences October 18 at the annual Planetree Conference in Baltimore. To learn more about her and her work, visit baltimorestyle.com.

The amethyst aura of M&T Bank Stadium at night has made a great first impression on rookie Raven Tony Jefferson, a safety and former Arizona Cardinal who says he is looking forward to playing on his new home field. Here, he makes his own strong impression in a three-piece suit by Christopher Schafer Clothier. Note the checkered shirt’s fuchsia buttons, which match the pink and blue paisley pocket square with its hint of predictable purple.